In a Bottle
by Zarichka
Summary: He left his wish never believing it would would come true, but miraculously, it did. And there isn't a thing he wouldn't give up for it. Even his life. Based on Daughter and Servant of Evil with a little Regret Message mixed in. Rated T not cuz I'm paranoid. Human names used.
1. Chapter 1: Watermelon Seeds

Yep, new story.

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_A little boy with white hair and purple eyes sloshed along an empty beach. He sat amongst the rocks holding out his hand which had a small bit of bread. He crouched and listened. A puffin landed lazily on his messy white hair while eating a way the bread pieces bit by bit. The child smiled at the bird._

_"Oh there you are, Mr. Puffin!" The child squealed in delight. The bird ate the rest of the bread before giving out a satisfied squawk and flying off. The violet-eyed boy cupped his hands around his mouth._

_"Bye-bye! See you tomorrow!" He hollered as the bird disappeared behind the horizon. He froze as he felt something nudge his shoulder. He let out a terrified scream._

_"Ahh!" A brown eyed boy giggled back at him. "Kaoru! That wasn't funny!" He pouted._

_"Yes it was. It was funny because you're cute." Kaoru replied and laughed as the other boy blushed._

_"I am not cute! Girls are cute and I am not a girl!" The white haired boy responded while puffing out his cheeks. The black haired boy smirked._

_"Then what are you?"_

_"I'm a boy so that would mean… I'm handsome." The white haired boy said defiantly. Kaoru thought a moment. The darker haired boy walked a full circle around him twice and poked him in the shoulder which was followed by a yelp._

_"You're a girl in my book." Kaoru said and patted him on the shoulder._

_"W-what book?! B-burn it!" The little boy stuttered and commanded. The other boy turned around and ruffled his hair._

_"You're funny." He said and smiled._

_"Kaoru! Emil! It's dinner time!" Kaoru's oldest brother called. Kaoru grabbed Emil's hand and they ran home._

_ Kaoru ate quickly, and then quietly he grabbed a large slice of watermelon. He quietly tucked it under his chair. Emil watched him intently, questioning his actions. After dinner, Kaoru quickly stood up._

_"Thank you, Yao, It was very good." He said before plucking up the watermelon and darted out of the house._

_"I-I'm full, too." Emil said quickly before running after him. He saw Kaoru walk over to the river. The river wasn't very strong or fast but in was rather wide. He quietly ducked down behind a barrel and peeking out at his friend. Kaoru took a small bite of watermelon before spitting a tiny seed into the river then marked the place where it fell with a rock. This was about five feet away. _

_"If you must know, Emil, I'm simply playing a game. Also, I know you're there so you better come out." Kaoru said without even turning around. Emil crawled out from behind the barrel._

_"How did you know it was me?"_

_"My Emil senses were tingling." He says before rolling his eyes. "I don't know anyone who wears such noisy shoes and takes such loud steps." He finished._

_"Oh… Why are you playing that game anyway?"_

_"Because if I don't I'll die" Kaoru said in a sarcastic tone. The sarcasm fell on deaf ears, though. Emil's large purple eyes widened, if that's even possible. He held a tight grip on Kaoru's sleeve._

_"You can't die! I won't let you!" He bawled in a horrified tone. Kaoru sighed and plucked his hands off his sleeve._

_"I was kidding."_

_"Oh. Then why are you playing that game? Don't lie to me this time!" The smaller boy commanded with a frown._

_"Well someday I wanna be able to get a watermelon seed to the other side of the river." Emil stared at him confused._

_"…Why? That's such a stupid goal. The river's 13 feet wide, I highly doubt that it's possible." Kaoru shrugged._

_"I don't know, I just want to be able to do it to say that I can, I guess."_

_"Oh… gimme some." The white haired boy held out his hand expectantly. Kaoru smirked and hid the fruit behind his back._

_"What was that?"_

_"Give me some watermelon!" The white haired boy demanded in frustration._

_"Nope." Kaoru taunted and held it out of the other boy's reach._

_"P-please!" He replied in a shaky and begging voice, as tears came to his eyes. The word played on the other boy's heart strings before he sighed and broke the fruit in half. He dropped the watermelon half into to his tiny palms. Emil smiled mischievously._

_"I bet I'm better at this game then you!" He exclaimed before taking a large mouthful of watermelon. He spit the seed as hard as he could, which fell with a plop a couple inches from his shoe. Kaoru had to bite his tongue so he didn't laugh out loud at his friend's playing skills. Emil sniffled a bit as tears formed in his eyes. Kaoru set his hand on the other boy's shoulder._

_"Hey, that was pretty good for a first time... I think. You'll get better… probably" Kaoru shrugged and bit out of his watermelon. He purposely aimed at the ground and blew as soft as he could. The seed landed beside the Emil's. "Oh darn! See, I'm not that great either, but we'll get better." He said and smiled slightly. The white haired boy's eyes sparkled._

_"Then let's have a contest to see who's better!"_

_"Deal." Kaoru replied. They both took a large bite. "Ready. Set. Go!" and they did._

_~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~_

_Later in the afternoon, Kaoru looked over at his friend. Emil curled up on the grass and fell asleep. He had a tranquil expression on his face. It was dark out so they should probably go home in a few minutes. Kaoru quietly stood up and snuck off towards the river. He pulled out an empty bottle and pulled the cork out. He then pulled out a piece of paper._

_He sighed. It's too bad that they won't be able to play together anymore. Tomorrow, someone from the kingdom is coming to pick up Emil. He is next in line for the title of prince in the Yellow Kingdom. His older brother was the prince at one point but he fell off the face of the earth. No one knew what happened to the Great Prince, Lukas. He left the castle and never returned. So the Yellow Kingdom doesn't fall apart without a ruler, it made a close relationship with the Green Kingdom to steady itself so surprisingly it wasn't conquered by another kingdom. Since Emil turned six last month, he's old enough to start royal training. While Kaoru turned six two months ago, has to start school and if he's lucky, he'll work as a servant in the Green Kingdom when he's older._

_The Green Kingdom's past ruler, Arthur's father, had married a woman who gave birth to Arthur. The queen died from disease, so he then married Kaoru's mother after his older siblings were born, while he was born after they married, so he and Arthur were the only ones with royal blood. While his other siblings, Yao, Kiku, Mei Mei, Im Yong Soo, and Thrya aren't allowed to inherit the title of prince or princess, they are still members of the royal family. _

_Kaoru slowly unfolded the sheet of paper. He reread it making sure there were no mistakes. On it was a wish. It stated neatly:_

_To whom ever makes dreams come true,  
I have two wishes. One is that I hope to see my friend again, since we will be splitting up forever. I probably won't be able to because he'll be very busy or he'll most likely have forgotten about me, but if it is possible, that's what I wish. If that can't happen, I just want him to be happy. Even if I can't see him, that's what I want. –Kaoru_

_He slid the piece of paper into the bottle. He was just about to put the cork back on but paused. He dug out a little red firecracker from his pocket and slid that in the bottle too. He corked the bottle closed and smiled contently at his work. He waded into the water until it reached up to his knees. He dropped the bottle. The little bottle made a small splash and drifted off with the current. It flowed away sparkling against the red and orange sky. He smiled and watched it as it became a small dot far away._

_"Flow along, little wish with tears and little bit of regret. May my thoughts, on this sea, reach their destination." _

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Kaoru slowly opened the doors to the castle. He walked up the stairs and around the corner as his steps as his steps echoed against the floor. He grabbed the knocked that was decorated with a puffin. _Some things never change_ he thought as he pressed it against the door twice. He held his head high as he walked up to the throne. Even if he remembered his past friend, that didn't mean the prince did. He bowed and tilted his head up to look at him.

"Hello sir, I'm your new servant. My name is Kaoru Li Xiao. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance-" The black haired boy was cut off as the thirteen year old prince wrapped his arms around the other's neck. The white haired boy buried his head into his shoulder. "I missed you too." Kaoru said and smiled back at him.

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_Disclaimer: I own nothing, fudge it!_

_Yeah... I started something new, problem? Good or bad?_


	2. Chapter 2: The Blue Kingdom

Wow, I suck at updating things. Anyways, enjoy~!

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Kaoru's heels clicked along the tile floor. His tie was annoying and his shirt was stuffy. It wasn't really his most comfortable attire but if it satisfied the prince then it wasn't that bad. He walked to the back of the castle and stopped by an exit door. He calmly pushed it open and stepped out. Kaoru breathed in the fresh air. It sure was beautiful outside. He looked around at the garden. It was perfect in every way. After the first week of working and getting to know his place around the castle, he was given the job of taking care of the outside. It was mostly grass, but after lots of begging and hardworking, the other servants finally allowed him to set up a garden. The prince himself could care less about if he did or didn't, but the other workers always said that a garden would be too much work. Well they were somewhat right.

When he was finally given the okay, he spent lots of time and energy into making his garden beautiful. He walked around the garden, checking his plants to make sure they were growing well. On his break, he would always clean out and weed through it. Out of all the flowers here, he especially loved the golden chrysanthemums. They were a gift given to him by the prince when he heard that a garden was being made. As a small growing child, he had learned that chrysanthemums were a sign of perfection and innocence. Kaoru kneeled down and started picking some weeds that had started sprouting up. He slightly turned his head and noticed the prince watching him.

"Oh. Good afternoon, sir" Kaoru said politely.

"Hey, Kaoru." Emil said calmly. Since it was only him and his friend around, he decided to just chill off, Emil wasn't a fan of being royalty. In fact, if his brother hadn't fallen off the face of the universe, he would have been happy to live his life as a normal human. He didn't want to be looked at differently; he wanted to see the world through his people's eyes. So, when they were alone, they called each other by their names and acted like their old selves. There was really no reason to look proper, so why should he if he didn't have to?

"Was there something you needed?" Kaoru asked. The pale boy smiled softly.

"No I just wanted to see how your gardening was coming along." Kaoru stood up and stretched. His hands were muddy now but at least his job was done.

"Well it's growing rather well." Kaoru said proudly. The prince nodded and continued looking around. It was always so peaceful out here sometimes it seemed like all his problems were gone…

"Sir, Emil!" One on the servants ran up to the little prince. "Some more villagers have come to request a loan for bankruptcy" The servant panted out of breath. He must have been searching for the prince for a long time, Kaoru thought. The prince frowned.

"Denied." The prince said in a cold tone of voice.

"Yes, sir. I shall go tell them." The servant bowed and hurried along.

Kaoru's eyes saddened. This was how it always was. Ever since Emil took over the throne, things went downhill. The young ruler hurt the kingdom badly. He raised taxes, spent much his wealth on his palace, and since he was very anti-social, many of the ties the Yellow kingdom had with other kingdoms were broken. Even the Green kingdom drifted away. All these things played key roles in diminishing the once great kingdom. Most of the villagers were very poor and they couldn't afford to move to a financially better area.

This enraged the villagers and caused them to hate the prince, but if any of them spoke out against the ruler, they would be killed publicly in the center of the town square. Kaoru looked up and noticed the prince watching him. Emil smiled innocent. Kaoru faked a small smile and looked down at the little yellow chrysanthemums. All the dread directed to his friend hurt himself, too. Where had his sweet little bright-eyed friend gone in those seven years?

Kaoru tossed his thoughts away. He DIDN'T work his ass off for seven years to be sad. He bowed and left to go to the kitchen to prepare some brioche and licorice for the prince's snack. The rest of the day went smoothly. Kaoru was dismissed at the end of his shift and walked back to his room. He lived in the palace. Of course all the servants did, in case the prince wanted something in the night. The maids and servants slept in two different rooms. He was fine with the arrangement, but for some reason, Emil wasn't so he gave Kaoru his own room. It wasn't luxurious like his but it was far better than any regular servant's shared rooms. Kaoru set his work uniform on his dresser and sat down on his bed. There was a simple knock at his door. He stood up and opened the door.

"Yeah?" He replied. The higher ranking servant stared back at him. He had short blonde hair and thick black glasses. His name was something like Eduard or something like that.

"The prince is going to the Blue kingdom tomorrow. You are to accompany him." The man said simply.

"Why am I to go?" He questioned. It's not like he didn't want to go, it's just something he was wondering.

"Well the rest of the servants are busy redecorating the castle and you seem to have an open schedule." He said simply.

"Yes I see. I'll go." Kaoru replied. Eduard nodded and slipped out of the room quietly. Kaoru yawned and sprawled out across his bed. He yawned lazily, thinking about tomorrow. _Hmm… will I have to be in the room or am I going to end up waiting out in the hall? _He sighed and settled onto his back. He stared up at the ceiling. He could only dream of what tomorrow would bring.

The next morning, Kaoru rolled out of bed, landing on the floor with a loud thud.

"Ugh, stupid gravity…" he grumbled. He quickly changed into his clothes and flew down the large stair case.

"I'm here." He called as the rest of the workers stared disapprovingly at him.

"Late _again_, Mr. Xiao?" Eduard asked annoyed, clip board in hand.

"I- …yes sir." Kaoru droned. Late again! He was NOT a morning person. _Ugh, now comes the scolding._

"I specifically told you that you had an important task to accomplish last night, did I not?!"

"Yes sir…"

"I expected more from someone like you! Anymore of this lateness and you will be-!"

"Eduard, let it go." The prince said, obviously annoyed. "It's only a few minutes" he said casually as he descended down the stairs. He glanced over at Kaoru. "Are you ready?" He nodded. "Alright then."

Kaoru opened the doors of the large castle for the prince. He stepped out gracefully. They looked around. It was rather sunny with a few drifts of wind here and there. Kaoru walked up to the horse carriage and opened the door for the prince, who stepped in defiantly. Kaoru scooted in and closed the door with a gentle click. The sound a whip cracked and the horses began off with a steady trot.

"The trip'll be long so I consider getting' comfortable." The driver said in a dry tone. Kaoru nodded and looked out the window at the passing buildings. He yawned and tilted his head to the side resting against the glass. _The man did say the ride will be long… _so he decided to get a quick nap in…

Kaoru's eyes cracked open. He glanced out the window. They were still travelling in the carriage... They passed lots of farmland so he guessed they were traveling along the border. He felt a weight on his arm. The prince was fast asleep, resting against his shoulder. A small smile graced his lips before he nestled further into the other boy's shoulder. The servant thought of all the possible dreams the little prince could be dreaming about for a while before he too fell asleep once more.

Kaoru woke up again. This time to the impact of crashing into the seat in front of him as the carriage came to a stop. He jerked his head to look out the window.

"Oh we're here…" He said. He nudged the prince softly awake. The young prince stirred in his sleep after being interrupted. Still drowsy, the prince stepped out of the carriage, almost losing his footing. Kaoru bowed to the driver.

"Thank you, sir." The driver nodded lazily.

The two boys looked around. The Blue kingdom was bright and cheerful. It consisted of lots of buildings and people. Kaoru turned to look at Emil who had his eyes dead set on the castle on the other side of town. As much as he wanted to, they couldn't explore the town. The prince had work to do that was to be discussed with the princess of this kingdom. Well at least that was as much as Kaoru knew. He turned to look at the prince.

"Where would you like me to wait?" Emil looked at him and smiled.

"What do you mean? You don't have to wait for me. You can go look around the city as long as we meet up..." His eyes scanned the crowds. "At the fountain in the middle of the city. 3:00 o'clock, okay?" He asked as he pointed towards a little blue stone fountain. Kaoru nodded in agreement and they went their separate ways.

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Emil stepped briskly up to the front gates of the blue palace. He felt a little self-conscious. Though of course, who wouldn't? He was asking the leader of the entire kingdom right under his feet to join unite with his. He pushed the gates open timidly and slipped in. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to have dismissed his friend to go… Emil took a deep breath, tossed his shoulders back and held his head high. No. He would be okay by himself. He knocked softly on the grand doors that lead into the room of the princess. The door opened and he walked in silently. A young girl stared back at him. She looked like she had been out in the sun for WAY too long. She had vivid bright blue eyes to match the whole city and dark brown hair pulled into two parts bound by red ribbon. He bowed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you madam. I am Prince Emil, leader of the Yellow Kingdom. I would like to request that our kingdoms unite."

…

"Denied".

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Good or bad?

Disclaimer: a young girl known for her disclaiming talents, started dancing the macarena in a bikini one day. The next day she disclaimed.


	3. Chapter 3: Relaxing for a While

Ugh I didn't want to make people wait too long for this chapter so it's very short. Oh well short builds character... I think... Enjoy~!

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Kaoru dodged around the people easily. He had visited several little shopping booths already. His heels annoyingly clicked loudly against the ground as he walked over to the fountain. Surprisingly these little shops had just about everything! He had picked up a slice of watermelon and an orange for lunch at a fruit stand. He placed the orange on his head and bent down to tie his shoe since he wasn't really keen on placing the fruit on the floor.

"Kaoru?"

He looked up at the sound of his name. A young man with blond hair and eyebrows that were just a BIT too big, started back at him astonished.

"Kaoru is that really you?" the man repeated.

"Brother Arthur?" Kaoru asked as he stood up. His brother walked over to him and placed his hands on his shoulders.

"Wow you've grown from the last time I saw you. Oh, it's been so long!" His brother looks him up and down thoroughly impressed with his youngest sibling. Kaoru smiled.

"It has been quite a while hasn't it? What brings the great ruler of the Green Kingdom here to the Blue Kingdom, anyway?" He asked.

"Oh? Well a great gentleman like myself would be here for only one reason." His brother stated proudly.

"Arthur!" A young girl came running towards them. She had beautiful blue eyes and glossy dark brown hair. She wore a bright blue dress to compliment her eyes.

"Oh there you are Sareen" Arthur said. He gestured to Kaoru. "Oh yes, Sareen, this is my brother Kaoru." He bowed politely.

"Nice to meet you, Kaoru!" She exclaimed with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you too" He replied.

"So what brings you to the Blue Kingdom?" The sun baked girl asked.

"Oh I'm just waiting up for a friend." He said casually. The couple nodded.

"Well we must be off, but let's keep in contact, alright little brother?" Kaoru nodded as they walked off. He turned around and jumped a little as the prince stared back at him. He seemed to be looking off in the direction that his brother and Sareen went. Kaoru walked over.

"I'm sorry sir I was just talking to my older brother." The prince didn't answer and turned away. _I guess things didn't go very well at the palace… _Kaoru thought. He reached down into his pocket and held out a little velvet bag.

"What's that?" Emil asked in a monotone.

"Well I thought you might be hungry when you came back so I just picked up this from one of the shops." The smaller boy grasped the bag and opened it. It was licorice… in the shape of a puffin. The young prince gave a small laugh.

"I think you know me too well."

The rest of the day they had spent exploring the town's shops and parks and everything else that interested them. It was all the fun they hadn't experienced in years.

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The plan was to stay in the Blue Kingdom for the night and leave in the morning. It was a rather good idea since travelling at night was dangerous. With all the criminals on the run around the outskirts of the kingdoms, darkness can be fatal. Not only people but, wolves and coyotes are becoming a big problem by chasing the horses off the roads.

"Kaoru, you're really serious about this."

Kaoru placed a glass bottle in the ocean. He watched as it drifted away along the currents.

"Of course I am, would you like to try?" He offered.

"No, it's a stupid poor people's game! I don't need to try it." The prince huffed and crossed his arms. Suddenly he uncrossed his arms and placed them behind his back. "I mean…" He continued. "Why would I need an ocean to grant my wishes when you already do that?" Emil said with a sweet smile.

"Alright then." Kaoru replied before staring off at the ocean which had an orange tint to it now. Emil stared off at the water too. The sun sat low in the sky giving it the appearance that it was melting into the water.

In just a few short hours they'd be on their way back to their own kingdom. Back to all the tension and stress. Back to the endless flow of problems and arguing. Whatever happened to those days they had spent playing along the water at Brother Yao's house? Nothing was accomplished on this trip yet it wasn't something they'd have wanted to pass. They could have this time of peace and relaxation all to themselves. Even though it was just a short day, it was indeed enjoyable.

"Even though that can't possibly make your wishes come true, I suppose it is fun to hope it will" The prince agreed as he leaned his head against the other's shoulder.

"You never know. It just might."

_It will work. It granted my wish and it's right here leaning against my shoulder._

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_Good or Bad?_

_Disclaimer: One day the disclaimer watched the movie __My Neighbor Totoro __... she disclaimed everything right after that._


	4. Chapter 4: It all started with a Monster

Yeah bro, here we go! Enjoy~!

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The plan was to stay in the Blue Kingdom for the night and leave in the morning. It was a rather good idea since travelling at night was dangerous. With all the criminals on the run around the outskirts of the countries, darkness can be fatal. Not only people but, wolves and coyotes are becoming a big problem by chasing the horses off the trails.

Kaoru sat among the large rocks on the shore. He sat quietly eating a piece of watermelon that he snuck outside with an orange balanced on his head. He took a large mouthful and spit the seeds off somewhere in to the water. The prince walked over to him as he finished up his orange.

"Oh hello sir, did you need me?" The prince shook his head and stared off at the ocean, completely avoiding the other's eyes.

"The sky is nice at this time of the day." Emil stated as he started off mesmerized by the ocean which had an orange tint to it. It was about 6 o'clock at night. But there was something about him that felt different. Had the meeting with the Green Kingdom's leader really gone that bad?

"Yeah" Kaoru replied quietly, trying to read through his friend's obvious act.

"I had fun, actually." Emil said still averting his eyes.

"Well I'm glad." Kaoru replied, suddenly amused by the pink tint in the other's cheeks. Emil stood up quickly and brushed himself off.

"Well it's late; I'm going to go to bed now." He stated while pretending to have found interest the rocks underfoot. With that said, he walked off to his room. Kaoru laid back on the sand of the shore. _What happened in that meeting to make him become so distant?_ The question was unbearable. _Curiosity sure can be an annoying thing..._

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Kaoru stepped out of the carriage quietly before holding the door open for the prince. The prince stepped out of the carriage briskly and relieved. The trip all the way home wasn't exactly lovely. Basically the trip was about thirteen hours in a cramped horse carriage, swamped with a new awkward tension. The moment the driver clomped off, one of the soldiers of the army came over to them.

"Sir we received the letter last night, we must go over the attack plans now." He said in a deep and throaty whisper. _Letter? When did Emil manage to send a letter at night and have it get back here? And what attack plans? Is there a war going on between the different kingdoms? _The prince stood staring straight back at the soldier before nodding.

"I see." Emil spoke icily (no pun intended). He marched past the servant without even glancing in his direction. The soldier scuttled after him trying to catch up. The servant stood, in the company of solitude. Quietly he snuck after the other two.

Kaoru took his shoes off so he couldn't be heard as he walked down the hall. The door to the room of the meeting was left open so listening in was pretty simple. Kaoru leaned against the wall, watching the meeting. Eavesdropping wasn't exactly his hobby but from what he's heard, whatever it was it was serious. The prince paced around a large wooden table in the center of the room. On this table was a map of all the kingdoms. There were several lines that lead to the neighboring kingdom of Green, which on the map was a large solid green dot. The prince pulled out a knife. He swung it through the air and stabbed it solidly into the map. Right on top of the innocent little green dot. His heart fell.

"This shall be our target and we shall leave at dawn while the village is asleep." He said, turning around to see all the worker's faces and make sure they agreed. Though, it wouldn't matter if they did disagree anyways. The prince traced along the different red lines with his pointer finger.

"These shall be the routes the army's take. They must all meet up in front of the palace at exactly sunrise. Attack, attack everyone. All men, women, and children that have green eyes. Burn down buildings topple houses, whatever works. I want this country GONE!" He commanded, still pacing. The workers nodded obediently and honestly, a little scared.

"I'll send a messenger to tell you when you can return back. Send lots and lots of updates about the attacks and damage. Even damage to our army, though I expect minimum since we have the element of surprise on our side." He said as he smiled darkly.

Kaoru stood shocked. He felt himself slowly sliding down the wall he was leaning against until he was in a sitting position. _…Why? What brought this upon his brother's kingdom? _He heard footsteps coming towards him. The meeting must be over. Quickly, he stood up and ran back to his room. He closed his door with a gentle click. Suddenly he realized it.

_Shit! I left my shoes next to the door! _He scolded himself. What if someone notices? Was he even allowed to hear all those plans? His thoughts were cut off at the abrupt knocking at his door. He took a deep breath before opening the door. There stood the prince holding his abandoned shoes. _Shit._

"Oh thank you for getting my shoes. I must have forgotten them."

The prince didn't respond, simply setting them on the ground. His purple eyes seemed fogged over and a few shades darker. He stared into his eyes glaring. It was as if everything froze. The time seemed to tick by ever so slowly until Kaoru finally broke the silence.

"…Why? Why do you want to wipe out the kingdom?" The prince's glared deepened as he grinned at the question.

"Money? Pride? Power? You can choose whatever reason you'd like. But I have a special job in store for you." Emil slammed the door shut behind them a few times louder than he needed to. He leaned in and whispered something into his ear.

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Kaoru slowly swiped the brush softly along the horse's mane. _Why?_ _Why is he going through with this?_ Chen whinnied slightly worried and stomped his hooves. Kaoru nodded and stroked along the horse's neck. It knew something was wrong.

"Shh… It'll be okay." Though, it was more of a comfort to himself than the horse.

He looked outside the window of the barn. It was time. Quickly he slipped on a black cloak and stepped up on to Chen's saddle. He pulled onto the reins with a single snap of his wrists and he was off. They ran. Farms, towns, and houses all flew by as he sped off into the night. The black and white blur of a horse dashed on without tire or thought. Finally they arrived at their destination. The Green Kingdom. He looked around at the damage. Few buildings still stood, no longer was the city green as only red was existent. Burn marks graffitied the ground as a sign of the war that pummeled through. But it wasn't like he hadn't known this happened, he was even the cause of some of it. It was the dream of the prince, a dream that became his nightmare. He could replay every scene in his head. All the people who were decapitated, or burned to death, for he could remember every single one. Every scared pool of green and in a simple slash they were black. Limp and lifeless, all the carcasses lay disregarded. Yet here he stood, alive but far from well. A monster. The one that devastated a whole country and everyone in it… was him.

On hushed feet, he lurked into backyard of the palace. There was his target. Arthur stood staring back at him in terror. Kaoru kept the hood of the cloak in front of his face so his brother couldn't see his face as he ran forwards. It was as if time slowed down to an impossibly slow state. He pulled out a small knife then plunged it straight into his target's heart. Only when he was done with the fatal sin did he tremble. He stood absolutely still as if it were he who was killed. He felt his eyes blinking back tears. _No! He was doing his job as a servant, he brought this upon himself._ Arthur simply smiled sadly. And with that, his brother's body collapsed to the floor. Kaoru took a step back. …_His mission was done?_

~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~oO0Oo~~

Emil sat down calmly at the table out in the garden. He looked around. Kaoru's been so busy fighting in the war that the garden has been a bit neglected. Weeds have filled up the open spots. Thorns have stabbed the flowers into a corner. He perked up at the familiar soft clicking of shoes. But what he saw wasn't what he expected. Emil gasped and took a step back, knocking the chair over into process. Kaoru stood, drenched in blood and torn clothes. There were even some red drops dripping from his stringy wet hair. Despite his appearance, he smiled innocently.

"I'm sorry I scared you." He said making an obviously fake smile. Emil kept quiet about it though.

"N-n-no uh, it's a-alright" Emil stuttered. Well the other DID just kill hundreds of people, so he did have the right to feel a little nervous around him.

"I'm sorry, I'll go get cleaned up." The servant bowed and was dismissed after setting the chair upright.

After sitting for a while longer, Emil decided to go in and check up on him. As he walked down the hall he heard the sound of water turning off and the click clicking of his friend's shoes go down the hall to the servant's room. Quietly, Emil followed and stood outside the door listening. He didn't want to bother his friend at a time like this …and who says royalty can't stalk other people's conversations?

"I'm sorry." Emil overheard as he felt himself slowly sink down into a sitting position on the floor. "God? It's too late for my apology. Just, please take care of my brother." Kaoru paused a moment before continuing. "I took everything from him. The people he loved, the kingdom he cultivated, and then with nothing left to take, I took his life. So please god, all he has left is you and …I deserve every punishment you choose. I wish to change who I am and who've I become, I really do, but there's still some things I still need to do." Then Emil walked away not interested in hearing the rest.

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I feel kinda lazy for skipping around in the story so much! Good or bad?

Disclaimer: The sweet young disclaimer drank coffee for the first time. The next day she disclaimed.


	5. Chapter 5: Declaration of the Water War

Aww it's so fluffy! I wrote this chapter for various reasons 1. To troll. 2. To get SOMETHING down on paper. I've been brain dead on this story for a while. (I almost discontinued it) 3. I felt more happy than dark today. 4. I felt like going against the genre. Enjoy~...

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Emil glanced out his window at his garden. The chrysanthemums seemed a bit dull and desolate as of lately. Things have changed ever since the war upon the Kingdom of Green. His fists clenched up. He won and they lost, right? Yes he won the war yet… somehow he had lost. No one could seem to look at him. Even Kaoru now seemed to be lost in thought. He was still loyal as always but a bit quieter. For someone who used to talk a lot, this newly found silence was very worrying, but Emil was busy and didn't have the time to be too concerned. Yet here he was on his free time, allowing his chain linked thoughts stray off to his friend. Gracefully, he stood up from his throne. A walk out in the garden would be healthy about now he guessed before he swung open the double doors.

Once outside, he sat down at the small table that was set up for him so he could relax in the garden when he wanted. A light breeze flowed through the air blissfully and a pair of rabbits chased after each in the grass. The young prince took a deep breath. There was such a large gap between the huge stuffy castle and the outside world. _If I wasn't trapped to the stupid title of prince then maybe, just maybe…_ He turned to see Kaoru walking over balancing a small plate of brioche in one hand and a watering can in the other. He set the plate down on the little outdoor table and bowed to turn away. Something in Emil snapped.

"Wait!" The prince called a bit louder than he expected it to. The servant turned.

"Yes, sir?" He asked plainly.

"Don't give me that, you know you don't have to be so formal." Kaoru rolled his eyes.

"Fine, whatever. What do you want?" He spoke as if he had much better things to do right then.

"Uh… how are you?" Emil mentally scolded himself for being so uncommunicative. Several awkward seconds passed before Kaoru answered.

"…Fine." Emil expected him to say more but he didn't.

"Uh… What are you doing?"

"Apparently watering the garden."

"Could you teach me?" Emil wasn't even aware as these words tumbled out of his mouth.

"…Pardon?"

"Could you show me how to raise a garden?" Emil repeated the question while feeling his cheeks turning red.

"Why would you want to learn how to raise a garden?" Kaoru asked a bit confused.

"Because I want to. Don't just answer a question with a question. So can you teach me or not?" He asked once more, his face completely ablaze. Another long pause tagged along before Kaoru reached over and ruffled his hair.

"I CAN, but that doesn't mean that I WILL." He said smirking. All the awkward tension cleared as Emil punched him in the arm and Kaoru chuckled slightly in response. "Fine, I'll teach you a few things. But you'd better realize you're probably going to ruin your clothes." Emil glanced down at his attire. It was some of his nicest clothing… oh well.

"Yeah it's fine, I can always get the maids to clean it when I go to bed or something." Emil said before shrugging slightly. They both kneeled down next to a scrunched up bed of yellow daylilies.

"These are daylily flowers. They have such thick leaves that you have look really closely for weeds." The servant explained while showing all the steps of sorting through the leaves and get to the base to pull the unwanted weeds out. Emil watched rather interested. Who would expect that he'd know so much about such a small unimportant thing like gardening? It was quite impressive actually. Emil was a quick learner and it was quite an easy task to dig out the pesky weeds that together they got it done quickly. Well at least the weed part was simple. The rest wasn't very much so saying that Emil was prodigy would be quite a lie considering how many times he screamed like a little girl or ran behind his servant from all the bugs.

"Alright now we must water the plants." Kaoru said handing Emil a watering can, who relaxed slightly. He felt like he might pass out if he found another crushed worm in his shoes… "Go get the hose and fill that can." Emil felt the color come back to his face.

"Okay." The young prince called over his shoulder while walking to the side of the small shed in the backyard. Messily, he unrolled the waded up hose and dragged to the garden. Kaoru handed him the spraying end while he fastened the other end to the side faucet. An idea came to the prince as the other boy screw the hose into the spigot. He stood behind him and aimed the nozzle end of the hose at the other boy. He waited a moment until boy turned the handle before holding the nozzle trigger down. A large jet of water erupted from the hose, drenching the servant in the back of the head. Emil felt himself burst out laughing. Kaoru jerked sideways, grasping the filled watering can and dumped it all over the laughing prince. It was his turn to laugh at his soaking friend.

"Hey!"

"You started it, smart one." Emil felt his grip tighten on the hose as he tried to spray the other again. Kaoru ducked to avoid it and darted behind a garden fountain. "One, two, three, four, I declare a water war!" Kaoru hollered before scooping up some water from the fountain into his weapon of choice. Emil felt the corners of his mouth curl up and chased after him. Kaoru was reflexively quick and managed to dodge some attacks but Emil still managed to get him a few good times. He jumped forward, backing the older teen into the large marble fountain. Emil stepped in really fast as Kaoru leaped back to stand on the small rim that held all the water in. Turning slightly, Emil shoved him off the rim and into the fountain. He was just about to take aim when Kaoru held out his hand.

"Truce?"

"What-?" Emil got cut off as he got pulled into the fountain. Instead of just falling in, he tripped over the rim and fell into the foot tall fountain of water with a large flailing splash. He sat up and blinked a few times. Together they sat in the fountain deathly quiet before both bursting out into laughter like there was no tomorrow. Whatever was lost was just found, or so the prince thought.

* * *

Awful or bad? Just kidding, Good or Bad? (I actually don't care for this chapter but atleast it pleases the happy people.)

Disclaimer: The young disclaimer watched the movie "Grave of the Fireflies" and cryed like a b*tch while making corn bread. Then disclaimed very hard while shoving Russia in a bottle of virgin coconut oil.


	6. Chapter 6: Another Flashback Message

Guess who's back? Back again? Zarichka's back. You're so dead. X3 Jk! For all those who read my half-assed stories, I have survived my internal break down and have presented a new chapter! I'm currently back to work on my jizz since I have a three day weekend. :3 Enjoy (if you can)~!

* * *

_About seven years ago…_

_"Brother, why did you leave me such a stupid castle?" A six year old Emil whispered out loud to no one._

_"Be quiet, child." His new teacher growled at him from the other side of the carriage as it bounded along the trail. He absolutely hated his teacher. She was a total pinched up, stick in the mud. The white ribbon in her hair was a complete clash with her bitter personality._

_Emil fixated his glare out the window. The little white cottage no longer registered in view any more. In just a few hours he'd be at the Yellow Kingdom's doorstep. His imagination wondered along. He wondered what type of food they'd have and if he'll make any friends. The only friends he'd had when he was living with Yao was Kaoru and his siblings. Kaoru… the moment Emil had stepped into the enclosed chamber with his teacher he'd been told to forget him. He will be required to act like he'd never been here. As if he'd never entered the friendly old house in his life or even knew that it even exists in the first place. His life anywhere else but the castle is to be considered a fraud. His teacher had told him that there's not much to worry about in that category and he'd forget about everyone in no time. But for some reason he couldn't bring himself to accept that. He was going to be forced to get over his old way of living, but… that just wasn't possible._

_The boy almost jumped out of his skin as a thick ruler slammed down on the empty space next to his chair. _

_"No deep thinking, young man." Was the sickeningly strict reply. The six year old sighed. This isn't fair. It's all his brother's fault…_

_~~oO0Oo~~_

_The carriage had stopped along the way a few minutes ago to let the carriage horse get a drink of water. The place they had stopped was on a beach that was just walking distance from an outer-skirting village. The outer-skirting villages were small neighboring cities that weren't part of any kingdoms and rimmed alongside the main paths that connected the kingdoms. Travelers often used them for pit stops. They consisted of small stores for mobile necessities and little bed and breakfast lodges._

_Emil squinted off into the distance at the small dots of shops illuminating a path straight to the heart of the village. He glanced around and noticed that none of the other adults were watching. His teacher, Mrs. A, was busy yelling at the horse coaches and the coaches were being yelled at. Maybe he could go… He wouldn't be gone for long… They weren't leaving for another hour or so… Once these thoughts had triggered in his mind, he immediately ducked down into the bushes._

_He slowly snuck past the wooden carriage and darted down the path towards the village. It was night time but the sequence of lights made the pathway almost magically apparent. Little surprises and shiny gifts were splayed behind little glass containers. The six year old continued walking on and on with no stop in sight. Soon, he had forgotten why he was walking. As if possess, his body just naturally forced him forwards. He had finally stopped as his foot hit a small glass bottle which ended up rolling along the pavement. He watched it tumble along until it came to a stop in front of the fountain._

_For some reason it seemed that every kingdom had a fountain. Strangely, he couldn't recall one kingdom that didn't have a fountain. Even some out-skirt villages had them if they could afford them. They symbolized the kingdoms coming together to make something called 'true hope'. There used to be a story about this and most children learned this story at a young age. If he remembered the old fable correctly it had something to do with all the kingdom colors coming together and flowing out to the ocean. As it was told, since the oceans connect, the colors return to the beach they were sent from once they have completely circled the earth. They are supposed to come back as an illusion. That was about all there was to the fable. But this story ceased to exist since the kingdoms drifted apart and the constant angst between each other caused the people to not believe this story. But even if the story and meaning are gone, the fountains were still left. Like hallowed out shells of the pride they used to show._

_His small hands clenched into fists. For some reason he couldn't help but think about his own life. He didn't want his old memories to be like these fountains. To exist without reason or purpose anymore. To become hollowed out of all the happiness that those days had brought him. His teacher was wrong; forgetting the best days of his life isn't even close to being possible. He jerked around not wanting to look at the fountain any more. He was a very intelligent child and he knew that there was the chance that he'd forget. He felt frustrated. How could he not forget something that he wanted to remember? An idea hit him as he whirled around. The bottle. His slender fingers loosely wrapped around the neck of the smooth somewhat cold glass. Quickly he pivoted on his heel and ran back towards the direction he came from._

_Emil's steps fell loudly on to the path way and kicked up dirt as he slowed to a halt. He glanced around him trying to see through the darkness. It wasn't very hard since there was a full moon. The beach crunched under his feet as he snuck along the shore. He reached deeply into his pocket and fished out a pen and a scribe of paper. Using his best judgment, he aligned the paper in the sand and started scribbling down on the paper. In soft ink the letter read-_

_To whom ever makes dreams come true._

_I have two wishes. I will be away from home for a very long time. So, I wish that I can go back home someday to see my friend who I have to leave behind. But probably by the time I get time to come home he won't be there anymore. He'll probably have a job or won't recognize me, but even so, I would like to go home and see him again. Since I'm leaving for so long I probably will never be able to go home again so for wish number two, I wish to never forget all those days we spent together. Once I'm where I'm supposed to be, all I'll have left are the memories. –Emil_

_After rereading his work, Emil finally decided it was time. He furled the paper together and pushed it into the glass bottle. He didn't have a cork so he had to make do using layers of rock and sand to seal it closed. The ocean looked soot-ebony colored in the night. The bottle fell with a plop into the opaque obscurity that the water resembled. It stayed in place until the everlasting ebb and flow dragged it from view to never be seen again._

___"Flow along, little wish with tears and little bit of regret. May my thoughts, on this sea, reach their destination." _

_~~oO0O~~_

_Two blonde teens peeked around a tree as a large fancy horse carriage swung by._

_"Emil, I-I'm so sorry…" The shorter of the two choked out. The taller teen rested his arm around the others' shoulders in attempted comfort._

_"This was what we wanted, right Lukas?" He whispered as their lips met. When the contact was disconnected the other boy nodded._

_"…Yes." Said boy replied._

_"Alright, let's go we don't have much time. We aren't completely sure that they've ended the search." The taller teen looked around at their surrounding wearily._

_"Alright Matthias…" Lukas trailed off before staring into the ground in his guilt. Matthias tilted his face to look straight into his eyes._

_"Listen Lukas, how many times have you told me that you hated your life? How many times have you cried under pressure of being prince? How many times have you attempted suicide to get away?" Matthias paused before sighing. "Let's just get out of here."_

* * *

Congratulations, Zar, you've created a chapter that is not relevant to the current time of the story! -_-'

Whatever, for those who are confused, this flashback takes place when Emil is being driven from Yao's (a close family friend) house to the castle where he will be forced to take his brother's place for the next seven years.

Also, anyone going to Anime Detour? I am and I can't wait~! (It's gonna be my first con. :D) I'm cosplaying Hk, too. I need you guys' help! Should I enter the Fanfiction writing contest that's being held there!? I'm unsure of my work! X(

Disclaimer: The young disclaiming girl auditioned for the school play... and didn't get in. So she disclaimed while feeling depressed. :) But now she's okay!


	7. Chapter 7: The Beginning of a Revolution

I'm so sick of wasting time but nothing's moving in my mind~! Inspiraion can't be found~! I get up and fall but I know there's a reason~ I'M ALIVE~! Anyways, I'm almost done with this story. Though I must ask, should I include Daughter of White and Re Birthday? Tell me what you think in a review or something, enjoy~!

* * *

Kaoru drummed his fingers noisily against the kitchen counter. It was just a little habit he'd picked up from god only knows where.

"Stop that."

"No." To this answer, Emil sighed. _So disobedient_...

"Whatever …are you sure I'm doing this correctly?" The young prince asked while splatting the ingredients around the bowl at a quick and unsteady pace. The bowl was dripping on all sides and a bit too watery. Kaoru shrugged to prevent an unnecessary face palm.

"Perhaps."

"You've been saying that for the last thirty minutes!" Emil groaned accidently pulverizing the dough. Quickly, the servant swiped up the small cooking dish from his hands and whisked the ingredients professionally.

"Well you're the one who's been asking for the last thirty minutes." The servant felt himself hold back a smirk as the prince puffed out his cheeks and began to pout for about the 33rd time ever since this morning. It just never got old. Who would have ever thought the leader of such a powerful country would be so immensely interested in learning how to cook? And Kaoru, being the amazing teacher he is, decided to take it upon himself to teach him. Then again, he was more or less forced by Eduard but that's a story for a later date. Anyways, here they both are, fifteen failed attempts at brioche later. Sixteenth time's the charm, right? Emil leaned over and watched in a tight focus as Kaoru added eggs and yeast to the current salt-sugar-flour concoction. "Did you preheat the oven?"

"Of course, everyone knows that. See, I know what I'm doing." Emil stated proudly. He quickly rushed over to open the oven. They both covered their faces as a gigantic puff of smoke tore out of the opened appliance. After several moments of coughing and opening every window in the kitchen, the smoke subsided and Kaoru nodded.

"Uh huh, of course you do." Kaoru muttered out loud with little emotion besides mockery.

"Oh whatever" The prince half sulked.

A couple hours later, bursting in on the two's alone time, Eduard walked in to the kitchen. He certainly stumbled on a surprise. There were several bowls laid out filled with batter ammunition, egg shells filled the sink, it smelled of smoke, wrinkled up aprons sprawled out on the floor, there were silver ware stuck in the walls and ceiling, cutting boards used as shields and two teenage white dough-covered blobs wearing pans on their heads that had declared a food fight. Upon nearly having a heart attack at the mess, the poor servant pressed his fingers to his temples. Eduard was mad. And no one liked Eduard when he was mad.

"Out. Now." Upon the two word command, both boys darted outside as if their lives depended on it (well they kind of did). And poor Eduard was left with the cleaning job.

Once the duo had escaped into their private garden, they finally stopped running. They both stopped to catch their breaths before settling at the small table. Kaoru pulled back the small outdoor chair as Emil timidly sat down. For a few moments they talked of various things. Their topics ranged from more cooking lessons to old traditions that they did as children. Evening arrived too soon on their conversation.

"Remember that game we once played long ago?" Emil questioned.

"Which one?" Kaoru could recall that they'd played hundreds of games in the past. It made remembering even one clearly somewhat of a challenge.

"The one watermelon seed spitting contest."

"Yeah, what about it?" Kaoru asked. He could remember that one as clear as day.

Emil stood up from his chair and walked over to the apple tree that shaded his little table. He wrapped his delicate hands around one small piece of fruit and in one short tug, he had the apple resting in the palm of his hand. A smirk of his own graced his open mouth. "This time, I'm going to beat you." He took a small bite and swallowed the sweet juices before continuing. "You let me win last time, so this time I'm going to beat you without your help." The size of Emil's memory never ceased to amaze Kaoru. Said boy grinned before picking up his own apple. He brought it up to his lips.

"Ready?"

"For you to finally lose? Duh."

"Dream on, Princess."

But before either boy could dive into their childish game, there was a loud shout from the center of the village. It sounded like several people all in unison. Suddenly, after the first outburst, an uproar followed. It alone sounded like thousands of people. It just seemed to get louder and louder yet it was impossible to hear what words were being spoken. Kaoru's eyes widened an insignificant amount but behind all the emotional control there was something. Almost a mix of fear and understanding. Emil glanced at Kaoru curiously, but the servant wouldn't meet his gaze. The servant's eyes flicked around as if watching for something or someone to appear.

"What's-?" Emil was immediately silenced by the older boy's hand pressing over his mouth.

The apple he was holding was dropped to the ground as he quickly latched onto the prince's hand and bolted to the castle's door. He reeled back the set of double doors and shoved the Prince roughly inside. Right in the door entry way, Eduard quickly grabbed on to the Prince's shoulder. Emil struggled to get away from the older servant but with no luck. He jerked his head over his shoulder to see Kaoru closing the castle doors and walking out.

"HALT! I demand to know what's going on here-!" Once again he was roughly shut up and led away by the other workers.

~~oO0Oo~~

"HALT! I demand to know what's going on here-!"

I pushed the doors closed a bit too harshly. I didn't even dare look behind me at that point. If I did, I wouldn't be able to continue walking and then I'd be dealing with less time than the meager amount that I was given in the first place. It was midnight and I was walking through a wooded area so that alone lowered my chances of succeeding by a good 15%. Squinting in the dark, I had to estimate where the stables were. When I reached my estimated target, I reached out blindly for the door. My fingertips brushed against cold wood and I knew my guess was correct. I grasped the door and pulled it open.

Part 1 of my goal was complete but there was still so much that needed to be done by tomorrow night. My arm stretched out against the stable walls for the light switch which I found rather easily. Once it was flicked on, a whinny erupted from one of the black and white horses that were cooped up in here. Piao, the name of the other mare that the prince owned along with Chen perked up at my footsteps. I ran up to her and tugged on the rope around her neck. She obliged by trotting along next to me. Since she could see in the dark, I was well protected. For a cover up to hide my work clothes, I used a dark yellow cloak that I tied loosely around my neck. I climbed up onto her back and she brought me all the way to the streets of the city.

We had gone the long way through the woods so we ended up behind some buildings. We snuck through the alley ways easily. In the most Kingdom cities, all the buildings were arranged in rows that all faced the center of the city which usually consisted of a signature fountain. I've heard that from a bird's eye view, most kingdoms were perfectly circular towards the center and the outsides were just dotted with farmland and tiny towns. As I snuck through the streets towards the fountain zone, I decided to walk. It would bring a lot less attention to myself than if I rode horse back. As I walked closer and closer I was more and more surrounded by people. It was a smart idea to bring such a small mare since neither of us stood out dangerously. The crowd's full attention was on someone preaching in the center of the city. It was so dark that I could just barely make out the silhouette standing upon the fountain. With the faint light of the torches around me, I could also see in one hand was an axe and in the other was a yellow rose. The voice was deep so of course it was male. The man kept yelling about a great revolution as everyone cheered. He yanked the yellow rose he was holding into a bucket of a liquid similar to that of blood. After the flower soaked for a second, it came out of the bucket a bright crimson color to where no yellow could be seen any more. Through the yelling and applauding a date rang out. _Tomorrow at the fall of midnight, we will have the Prince of Evil's head on a silver plate. _I tucked the date away in my head to remember it before turning around to leave. My job here was done.

Once past the crowd, I quickly hoped upon my horse's back and rode off. So much to do in so little time. How unfair. Tonight was a particularly dark and windy night so my freshly lit lantern wasn't surviving the trip. Sooner or later, I was going to end up riding blind again. But I was willing to take the risk for my own selfish reasons. After a few turns, I was on a path that was a straight shot to my next destination. I blew out my lamp to save oil for when I'd be riding back. All I had to do now was sit and make sure not to fall off in the next several of hours before crossing the border. As I rode along, I began to realize how truly hopeless this attempt was. I'd lied to just about everyone by now. But, no matter what negative thoughts cross my mind, I will find a way. It's much too late to stop and for better or worse, I cannot do so. So with nothing else but the pressure of the clock I must cross the kingdom border to the once-was Green Kingdom in a race against time itself. Ever since the war, since every person who lived in the Green Kingdom was murdered the other kingdoms don't really know what to do about the now fallen land. Some kingdoms are currently fighting about if they should extend their kingdoms over the new land or try to rebuild the kingdom out of respect for those who died. Since the Yellow Kingdom won the war and no one existed to say otherwise, most of the Green Kingdom territory became ours. Companies run by greed simply destroyed the rest of the building stubs and started building right over millions of graves just for the money. Many other kingdoms simply watched in horror, calling us monsters. But they are no different as now they themselves are fighting for the bits of the kingdom that we didn't take. The irony of such a double standard is quite amusing to me but perhaps I'm alone on that opinion.

I still have to go another several miles. I wonder what Emil's thinking of right now. He's probably beyond angry. But that's okay because soon he will have a great reason to be angry. A revolution, that he has yet to know about, will occur soon so he can go ahead and be as infuriated as he pleases. In the end though, the army will be caught off guard. I broke Eduard's promise. Right now I'm supposed to be warning the army about the uprising so they can prepare. But instead I'm over two hours away crossing the kingdoms at midnight. At this very moment, those involved in this wretched revolution are preparing for their self-created war. They will strike by morning and the fighting will last approximately a day since our army has suffered much damage already from the previous war. And just as they stated they _will have the Prince of Evil's head on a silver plate _by tomorrow night. It's charismatic how they're all risking their peasant-like lives against armored battle soldiers. Lives will be lost, of course. So many people will die within one city just for the end of one person, their own leader.

I toy around with this thought as if it were a game. On the villager's side the gain- Death of the prince; loss- many villager's lives. On the evil side the gain- Assurance that royalty can't be overthrown; loss- parts of the army. This whole time I've been rooting for the evil side. _The Prince of Evil._ If such title is befitting for my prince then I am evil too for I will always be by his side. I've done every little twisted thing he could ever ask for and I'm not even done yet. Truly the makings of a servant of evil. A servant evil enough to cheat in the game behind everyone's back. I'm almost sure by now that I know the outcome of this little game, but once it's over I'm no longer a fan of it. And I'll be damned if I don't burn in hell by the end.

~~oO0Oo~~

I've been travelled many miles by now and have even crossed the border by now as the sun is rising. It was another day and the clock waits for no one. Thankfully these little thoughts have occupied my mind well enough so that I didn't fall asleep while riding. Piao's running slowly dwindled to a trot as we continued. Soon we arrived upon a small beach area along the ocean. I hopped down from my saddle allowing Piao to get a drink and rest before we were to head home. I looked along the ocean side impatiently. I didn't' have time for vigorous searching, I still had to get back to the Yellow Kingdom by tonight. I scanned around the beach a bit further. Finally I saw what I needed. A heavily flowered wooden cross was placed along the shore. I pulled back my hood and kneeled down over it. A plaque stood up out of the ground. I glanced over the intaglio.

"Arthur Kirkland- 18 years of age. A great man who took on the world. A true king in flesh and spirit." I read out loud before smiled down at the plaque. "It's been far too long, brother." My throat felt dry and sanded, but I continued to look passively at the small black etching. My eyelids dropped slightly. Another factor slowing me down, damn. "I know you're there so there's no reason to hide." I sighed, making my boredom evident. I directed my voice over my shoulder without turning my head. As I stood up, sure enough behind me was someone clad in a black cloak. The wind whistled slightly as the person unsheathed a sword to point at my back. I stared straight ahead of me as whoever was behind stared into me.

"What you're looking for isn't here anymore." A whimsically quiet voice softly stated. I knew that voice. A voice soft like wind. The type of wind that moves so stealthily it could slice the world in half. As realization began to hit me, I began trying to look through the corner of my eye over my shoulder. I didn't dare move from my spot though.

"Who would have thought we'd be meeting under such circumstances as these, Prince Lukas-." I was cut off as I felt slightly slender hands reach over my shoulders and press a knife to my neck. Tiredness was beginning to get the best of me as I actually smirked at the action.

"Never call me that again." Still quiet as ever yet stern. Nothing has really changed in the eight or nine years that have passed.

"Very well." There was a pause before I continued. "You obviously know why I'm here so it's only fair that I know your reasons." His actions weren't of any concern to me but before we parted way I felt I should at least know why he's visiting _my _brother's grave.

"I was going to help you in your little task-."

"-You're doing quite an amazing job at that." I interrupted full of sarcasm while smirking down at the weapon by my neck. I should probably a bit more serious in these situations but that's just not my thing. He pressed the side of his blade a little closer to my throat.

"You really should have learned when to shut up." _Oh I did, just not towards you_. I was going to say my counter out loud but I knew Lukas well enough to know that he wouldn't hesitate to stab me. "As I said before, Arthur's magic isn't here anymore." Annoyed, I pressed my hands against the blade and jumped out from the fastened hold I was held. I landed on my feet a bit away from him. Seeing him entirely, Lukas actually has changed but in tiny ways. He was a bit taller than I last saw him and his hair was now much more of a blonde than the white-ish color it used to be, so all in all he was still Lukas.

"What exactly do you mean?" I demanded.

"For some reason, the magic that was placed on his tomb has become languid and unusable." The small blonde explained. "But, I've decided to help you."

"And why would you want to help me?" It's not that I didn't want his help it's just that I he had no reason to help me in my goal. He must be after something.

"I have a deal for you." Lukas sheathed his sword.

"Explain. In detail, if you'd please."

"Hmm. Fair enough."

* * *

Yes, I know I suck. Oh well. Be preparaed for a disapointing ending to this nightmare.

Disclaimer: Never freaking ever.


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